FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Leonard Cohen's posthumous album (2019)
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daka
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by daka »

Jean Fournell wrote:Bonsoir Sean,

and thanks for your poem!
Unfortunately I'm too daft to identify the rhyme you mention, but never mind.

As for not needing moon, nor sun well, of course not (except for those among us who don't live outside passing time, that is).

On the other hand, not long ago a fool said to me:

"At times now I dance with the moon on the water.
She knows nothing, just like me.
We are equals."
I am the moon
Watching the water
I am the water
Watching the moon
I'm heading home soon


There is a song here:
those among us who don't live outside passing time

How beautiful!


Living outside of
The box of time
Living outside of
The mad matrix
Living outside of
The sad psychosis
Living outside of
The silliness of self
Living outside of
Virtual reality
If you become the ocean you will not become seasick....Jikan (aka Leonard Cohen)

It's comin' from the feel that this ain't exactly real, or it's real, but it ain't exactly there! . Jikan
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Boss
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by Boss »

Living outside of
truth

Shabbat Shalom Daka and Jean Ha!
'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer' - Albert Camus
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mat james
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by mat james »

Below is the poem/song.
The red comments are my brief interpretation/impression of the verse alongside.
As always, keep to your own understanding of the poem...but here is mine; flawed no doubt, but mine all the same.

HAPPENS TO THE HEART

I was always working steady
But I never called it art
I was funding my depression
Meeting Jesus reading Marx
Sure it failed my little fire
But it's bright the dying spark It was worth the efforts
Go tell the young messiah Tell the young, it’s worth the effort
What happens to the heart Optimism

There’s a mist of summer kisses
Where I tried to double-park
The rivalry was vicious
And the women were in charge Early loves/attempts were not successful/didn't bring happiness
It was nothing, it was business
But it left an ugly mark
So I’ve come here to revisit
What happens to the heart

I was selling holy trinkets
I was dressing kind of sharp
Had a pussy in the kitchen
And a panther in the yard His success spoiled him
In the prison of the gifted
I was friendly with the guard
So I never had to witness
What happens to the heart

I should have seen it coming
You could say I wrote the chart
Just to look at her was trouble
It was trouble from the start
Sure we played a stunning couple He found soul, but was uncomfortable being the Mystic
But I never liked the part
It ain’t pretty, it ain’t subtle
What happens to the heart

Now the angel’s got a fiddle
And the devil’s got a harp
Every soul is like a minnow Leonard has gone beyond good and evil; but so what!
Every mind is like a shark
I've opened every window
But the house, the house is dark he still gets depressed in his "cloud of unknowing"
You say Uncle, then it's simple
What happens to the heart

I was always working steady songs don't need to be masterful poetry, but he did a good job
But I never called it art
The slaves were there already
The singers chained and charred
Now the arc of justice bending
And the injured soon to march It’s the next generation’s turn?
I lost my job defending
What happens to the heart

I studied with this beggar
He was filthy he was scarred
By the claws of many women
He had failed to disregard
No fable here no lesson He is grateful for the journey that his wretched, longing heart took
No singing meadow lark
Just a filthy beggar blessing "...blessed are the poor; in Spirit"
What happens to the heart His flawed Zen Master? (Jikan)
[/color]
I was always working steady
But I never called it art His standards are higher than ours (his fans)
I could lift, but nothing heavy ...and thinks he didn't write great literature
Almost lost my union card
I was handy with a rifle
My father's 303
We fought for something final His soul sought g~d, not Reason/philosophy, though reason is a useful tool. He wrestled the Adversary/Tempter (Shaitan) ...but he wanted to "Dance,dance,dance" with g~d
Not the right to disagree

Sure it failed my little fire
But it's bright the dying spark He feels that he was no mystic genius but… we don’t have to be.
Go tell the young messiah divine longing, and G~d will do the rest.
What happens to the heart The heart warms and burns brighter for its troubled longings and efforts. But it dips into doubt ("Why hast Thou forsaken me" blended with "Into thy arms I commend my Spirit")...and longing more often than rapture.
June 24, 2016


So, as the end nears, for this aging troubadour, a different ember burns.
"No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion." (Hopkins)
The battles of life feed the embers of the soul, whether we realize it or not...that's what happens.
The young Leonard burned with longings in his Spring and Summer years,
and now passing through Autumn ...and heading into Winter's Way: he is warmed by the merciful embers of soulful belonging (Mercy and moments of contact-divine) when in his more positive moods. And the "blue-bleak embers" as Hopkins put it, do "Fall", do "gall themselves" and break into the "gold-vermillion" of Leonard's "bright...dying spark". He doesn't think he is up there with the best poets, like Hopkins, but we do!

And he humorously assures the "young messiah", (Jesus and those seekers/poets/singers of their own soul) that the home fires/embers are burning gold-vermillion for them too. The hard yrads will polish the soul...sillion Shine.
Sure, sometimes Doubt reigns supreme and the cloud of unknowing wins that day; But the fight was rewarding and " it's bright the dying spark".

For me, it sounds like he is "passing the baton" in the relay of mystic endeavor onto all or any of us and those who follow. And why not?
Isn't that what all messiah's do? :idea:
We fought for something final
"Fight Thou Thy fight!" says Krishna to Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita.

8)

I, and Cervantes, no doubt, hereby dub thee, Sir Leonard, Knight of the blue-bleak embers! ;-)

May our hearts too, in hiding, "stir for a bird"
and may our "dying spark" break through the blue-bleak embers to that gold-vermillion the great poets sing of.

Mat James. (MatbellybuttongazerJ)
Last edited by mat james on Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:00 am, edited 7 times in total.
"Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart." San Juan de la Cruz.
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Boss
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by Boss »

I've never read so much shit (the red type) in all my life!

Goodbye, and you lost,

Mashiach
'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer' - Albert Camus
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mat james
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by mat james »

Hi Boss,

You got me thinking Boss, and you were right.
So I thought a little more deeply and sauntered a little more.
Thanks for the kick in the butt.
I understand that your interpretation usually differs from mine...and that is healthy.
I wish you well.

I can't say for you, but perhaps I'm...

"Just a filthy beggar blessing
What happens to the heart"

MatbbgJ
"Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart." San Juan de la Cruz.
Cate
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by Cate »

There’s a mist of summer kisses
Where I tried to double-park
and this,
is why you can never find a parking spot in Montreal. Dear Mr. Cohen, we all want summer kisses and a place to park - please try to share.

I love that Leonard has shared this with us and I love the poem which I have read and plan to read many times over. I also have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's comments and thoughts about it. Matt I always like reading your interpretations of Leonard's, work it's good to see different angles (sometimes angels).
Love Cohen
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by Love Cohen »

Leonard please, please do a tour with your latest album..the last one was great. I could listen to your deductive voice forever.
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mat james
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by mat james »

Hi Cate :)
thanks for the positives.
I would have answered earlier but I was away and had forum access issues.
With regard to this song of Leonard's and his songs in general, they are forever rolling around in my mind and on occasions I just can't help myself...I just have to say something (on the forum) about what I "see". :roll:
...and in his work ,

"I look for her always
I'm lost in this calling
I'm tied to the threads of some prayer"

and of course "her", for me, is his soul.

Regards to you Cate, X

MatbbgJ
"Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart." San Juan de la Cruz.
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Hartmut
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by Hartmut »

Love Cohen wrote:I could listen to your deductive voice forever.
Maybe one of the greatest typos ever.
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by hereandnow »

Leonard, thanks for this present to us, for this poem!

There's much I can relate to here, it says a lot to me, though of course I can't fathom all the depth of meaning here.

It's so great to see such a message from you on this forum. Happens to the heart.
2009 Prague
2010 Moscow
2012 Barcelona
2012 Madrid
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by barbfaye »

"it ain't pretty, it ain't subtle, what happens to the heart" touched me deep. Thank you Leonard.
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LY24
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by LY24 »

HAPPENS TO THE HEART
——Leonard Cohen

心所经历的一切

译:刘皓

I was always working steady
But I never called it art
I was funding my depression
Meeting Jesus reading Marx
Sure it failed my little fire
But it's bright the dying spark
Go tell the young messiah
What happens to the heart
我一直保持努力创作
可我从不将它称为艺术
我总是助长自己的抑郁
阅读马克思,与耶稣交谈
当然,这浇灭了我的火苗
但这是明亮余烬的火焰
为了告诉年轻的弥赛亚
心到底经历了什么。

There’s a mist of summer kisses
Where I tried to double-park
The rivalry was vicious
And the women were in charge
It was nothing, it was business
But it left an ugly mark
So I’ve come here to revisit
What happens to the heart
那曾有夏日之吻的迷雾
我试着并排停车
可竞争激烈
而且有位女看管
真的没事,一切照旧
但留下一个丑陋的标记
所以我旧地重游
看心到底经历了什么。

I was selling holy trinkets
I was dressing kind of sharp
Had a pussy in the kitchen
And a panther in the yard
In the prison of the gifted
I was friendly with the guard
So I never had to witness
What happens to the heart
我兜售圣洁的饰品
我伪装成一个行家
猫咪在厨房
猎豹在庭院
而天才囚于监狱
我和警卫相处不错
因此我从不曾目睹
心所经历的一切。

I should have seen it coming
You could say I wrote the chart
Just to look at her was trouble
It was trouble from the start
Sure we played a stunning couple
But I never liked the part
It ain’t pretty, it ain’t subtle
What happens to the heart
我本该目睹它的到来
你可以说我画了图表
只需要看看她的烦恼
这是来自开始的烦恼
当然,我们假装是一对绝佳的夫妻
但我从来不喜欢义务
这不完美,也不难以理解
心到底经历了什么。

Now the angel’s got a fiddle
And the devil’s got a harp
Every soul is like a minnow
Every mind is like a shark
I've opened every window
But the house, the house is dark
Just say Uncle, then it's simple
What happens to the heart
现在天使拥有小提琴
魔鬼拥有竖琴
每个灵魂像条小鱼
每个思想犹如鲨鱼
我打开所有的窗户
可那房子依旧漆黑
只需叫句大叔,继而也便明朗
心到底经历了什么。

I was always working steady
But I never called it art
The slaves were there already
The singers chained and charred
Now the arc of justice bending
And the injured soon to march
I lost my job defending
What happens to the heart
我一直保持努力创作
可我从不将它称为艺术
奴隶都已准备就绪
歌手被铁锁捆绑烧成灰烬
现在,正义的轨道开始倾斜
受伤的人很快就要游行
我用丢掉的工作来捍卫
心所遭受的一切。

I studied with this beggar
He was filthy he was scarred
By the claws of many women
He had failed to disregard
No fable here no lesson
No singing meadow lark
Just a filthy beggar blessing
What happens to the heart
我跟着乞丐学
他邋遢,因红尘
而伤痕累累。
他未曾置之度外
这没有神话没有课堂
没有歌唱的野云雀
只有一位邋遢的乞丐
为你所遭受的一切而祈祷

I was always working steady
But I never called it art
I could lift, but nothing heavy
Almost lost my union card
I was handy with a rifle
My father's 303
We fought for something final
Not the right to disagree
我一直保持努力创作
可我从不将它称为艺术
我能举起,但还不算沉重得
几乎让失去我的工会证
我耍我父亲的303口径来复枪
得心应手
我们为一些确定的事而争吵
没有争辩的权利。

Sure it failed my little fire
But it's bright the dying spark
Go tell the young messiah
What happens to the heart
当然,这浇灭了我的火苗
但这是明亮余烬的火焰
为了告诉年轻的弥赛亚
心到底经历了什么。

June 24, 2016
Leonard Cohen.

2016.6.24

:D I love this poem,so honest!
The translation of this poem is my respect for him.
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LY24
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by LY24 »

hello!mat james.

I really like your brief interpretation!thanks! :)
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by LY24 »

pironi wrote:For me this is more than a poem - it's a honest account of everything he has experienced in the past. Anybody feels the same?
Pietro.
I quite agree with you! :)
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Re: FROM LEONARD: HAPPENS TO THE HEART

Post by pironi »

I have read the poem many many times and tried to translate it into Italian.
There is one thing I'd like to understand:
You say Uncle, then it's simple
What happens to the heart

This Uncle, is he a member of Leonard's family, or is this some kind of saying either in the English language or in North America??
Thanks
Pietro.
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